KARACHI, May 9: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has, with immediate effect, suspended operations of the Aero Asia Airlines due to issues relating to safety and passenger convenience.

The Aero Asia operates on three domestic and three international routes.

According to a CAA press release issued here on Wednesday, the problems were brought into notice of the airline’s management time and again but the situation, instead of improving, went from bad to worse and the company failed to comply with CAA’s safety and regularity requirements.

The CAA said the Aero Asia might restart their operations

as and when they so desired, provided they satisfied the authority on all safety-related issues, in addition to exercising better operational control over aircraft.

“The authority has no issue with the Aero Asia as far as payment of its current dues is concerned,” said the CAA.

The airline said it had temporarily suspended operations.

“We are in search of newer aircraft and modern-day technology in order to improve our product,” Haider Jalal, managing-director of the airline, told a news conference.

“We have decided to suspend our operations temporarily with effect from May 19, till further notice.”

In March, the European Union banned all but seven of state-run Pakistan International Airlines’ aging fleet of 42 planes based on safety concerns.—Agencies